MLB Player News

Encarnacion-Strand went 5-for-10 with two home runs and five RBI between wins over the Diamondbacks on Friday and Saturday.

Friday's game was suspended due to rain, and when it resumed Saturday, Encarnacion-Strand emerged as the hero after smacking the walk-off RBI double in the 10th. He carried over that momentum into Saturday's scheduled game, putting the Reds on the board in the first inning with a three-run shot to left field. Encarnacion-Strand had produced a .482 OPS across 59 plate appearances prior to suffering a back issue and landing on the injured list April 17, but the extended period on the shelf and subsequent rehab assignment may have helped the 25-year-old infielder figure things out at the plate. Expect the Reds to continue to find ways to keep his bat in the lineup now that he's looking healthy and productive.

Lux went 1-for-5 with a grand slam in Saturday's 13-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

Lux gave the Reds a commanding 10-1 lead in the fourth inning, when he took Kendall Graveman deep to right field for a 351-foot grand slam. It was Lux's second home run of the season and first since April 21 against the Marlins. He is slashing .283/.374/.401 with one steal and 26 RBI across 187 plate appearances this season.

Suarez (4-1) was tagged with the loss against the Pirates on Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out five across seven innings.

After yielding an RBI single to Andrew McCutchen in the first, Suarez kept Pittsburgh off the board over the next five innings and faced the minimum number of batters in three of those frames. However, the veteran southpaw lost the lead for the Phillies in the seventh, when he gave up a solo home run to Henry Davis, and Suarez didn't get enough run support to avoid his first loss of the season. Still, Suarez has logged a quality start in each of his last six outings and sports a 2.70 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 38:11 K:BB across 43.1 innings this season. He is tentatively slated to pitch next weekend at home against the Blue Jays.

Davis went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's 2-1 win over Philadelphia.

Davis gave the Pirates the lead for good in the seventh inning, when he took Ranger Suarez deep to left-center field for a solo homer. Davis has gone long in back-to-back games for the first time in his career, and he has been hot at the plate of late with a .300 batting average (12-for-40) with two doubles, three home runs and eight RBI over his last 13 games. He'll continue to see a heavy workload as the Pirates' top catcher with Joey Bart (concussion) and Endy Rodriguez (elbow) both on the injured list.

Bednar earned the save in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Phillies, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth inning.

Bednar was brought out for the ninth to protect the Pirates' one-run lead. He needed just seven pitches (five strikes) to get through the frame, four of which came on a Kyle Schwarber strikeout. Bednar has converted on all eight of his save opportunities this season and has a 3.74 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 31:5 K:BB across 21.2 innings. He appears to have reestablished himself as Pittsburgh's closer, having recorded the club's past four saves.

Weathers was evaluated for a head injury after exiting Saturday's start against the Rays in the third inning, Nate Karzmer of Fish on First reports.

Weathers was seen flexing his arm and experienced diminished velocity before being pulled, so it was assumed he was dealing with an arm injury. However, he was hit in the head on a practice throw by Nick Fortes after warmup pitches in the first inning, which is apparently the primary cause for concern. The Marlins announced Weathers didn't suffer a significant injury, but it will still be worth monitoring his status leading up to his next projected start.

Veneziano will serve as Miami's opening pitcher for Sunday's game against Tampa Bay, Stephen Strom of Marlins Radio Network reports.

Veneziano was recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville on Friday and worked a scoreless inning out of the bullpen in the series opener versus Tampa Bay. The 27-year-old lefty is now slated to get his first MLB start Sunday, but he's likely to work just an inning or two before turning the game over to the bullpen. Connor Gillispie, Janson Junk and Valente Bellozo are all candidates to cover multiple frames once Veneziano exits the contest.

Williams avoided a concussion after being hit in the helmet by a pitch Friday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Williams was hit by a fastball that was traveling 98 mph. He will miss a few days but is expected to be back in Double-A Binghamton's lineup quickly.

Weathers was removed from Saturday's start for precautionary reasons and will undergo further evaluation, Stephen Strom of Marlins Radio Network reports.

Weathers was removed from his start after three innings Saturday against the Rays after displaying diminished velocity while also flexing his left arm. The preliminary news is positive, with manager Clayton McCullough reporting that no major issues were uncovered during an initial evaluation, per Brian Murphy of MLB.com.

Taylor is out of the lineup Saturday against the Rockies.

Taylor will sit after making consecutive starts. Jeff McNeil will take over in center field, with Brett Baty at second base and Ronny Mauricio manning the hot corner.